Group A
Might the unthinkable occur? Die Mannschaft have not once missed out for the global tournament but the multiple winners must avoid slip-ups if they are to secure top spot after losing against Slovakia in their first match. Julian Nagelsmann’s side lead Slovakia on goal difference and need to defeat Luxembourg on the weekend and observe whether Northern Ireland – guaranteed a qualifying round after ending first of their international league group – can do them any favours in Slovakia on the same night. Germany conclude against Slovakia in Leipzig on Monday in what could be a winner-takes-all showdown. Teams finishing runner-up enter the qualification rounds.
Section B
The Swiss team will qualify on Saturday if they achieve a superior outcome at home to the Swedish side than Kosovo secure in the Slovenian venue. Switzerland’s vastly superior goal ratio ensures they will be almost guaranteed of a World Cup place if they equal Kosovo’s performance. But if Kosovo reduce the three-point gap to the front-runners, things will be excitingly poised for their last match at home to Switzerland in Pristina on Tuesday. Sweden, playing under their new manager for the initial occasion, are expected to reach the qualifying stage by merit of having won their Nations League group.
Section C
With Greece and the Belarusian side out of contention, it is a straight fight between the Danes and the Scots for direct entry. The Scottish squad enter the last pair of games behind on net goals so will probably need a minimum of a point in Athens on Saturday to have a chance of seizing top spot when they face Denmark at Hampden Park on 18 November.
Group D
Les Bleus have a playoff in the bag courtesy of the Nations League and will qualify in first position if they beat Ukraine in Paris on Thursday. Additionally a tie would leave France set fair going into their final game in Azerbaijan considering they are ahead of Ukraine by a trio of points and have a goal ratio superior by five. An the Icelandic side win in Baku on Thursday coupled with a France win over Ukraine would move Iceland into second on net goals before they meet Ukraine on Sunday in Warsaw. The Azerbaijani team's very slim chances of reaching a qualifying round need victories over Iceland and France and boosting their poor net goals.
Group E
La Roja, having won their first four matches, are on the brink of qualification. If they achieve a better result in Georgia on Saturday than Turkey obtain at home to the Bulgarian side they will guarantee top spot, and equaling Turkey’s result would almost confirm qualification given their goal difference is superior than Turkey’s by a dozen. Turkey require a point – or a slip by Georgia – to guarantee a playoff. They conclude on Tuesday in Seville against Spain, who beat them by a large margin in September.
Group F
An stoppage-time leveling goal by Hungary’s their captain in Lisbon last month has caused the Portuguese side wait a little longer to book their place. Two points from games in the the Irish team on Thursday and at home to Armenia on Sunday would ensure first position. Hungary, who are second, one point ahead of Ireland, would obtain a playoff on Thursday if they win in Armenia and Ireland are defeated to Portugal. Alternatively the qualification place may depend on Hungary’s game against Ireland in Budapest on Sunday.
Section G
Poland’s aspirations of overhauling the Netherlands, who are ahead of them by several points with a vastly superior goal difference, depend on beating the Dutch squad in Warsaw on Friday and wishing eliminated Lithuania can do them a favour in Amsterdam on Monday. The Netherlands tied at home to Poland in September but have otherwise secured most games easily. Finland, who meet Malta in their last match on Friday, have an outside chance of making the qualification stage if Poland lose to the Netherlands and Malta.
Group H
Three teams are in contention to finish first, although the Austrian team are aware a win over the Cypriot side on Saturday combined with second-placed Bosnia and Herzegovina suffering defeat or tying at home to third-position Romania would confirm their spot. The Bosnian squad, two points behind Austria with a net goals inferior by eight, travel to Vienna on Tuesday. The Romanian national team, who require two wins to have a opportunity of first place, host the San Marino team that day. There is the intriguing chance that San Marino, Fifa’s lowest-ranked nation, could secure a qualification place after winning their international league group, if Romania end second – a situation that could depend on how many goals they score in their last game.
Section I
the Norwegian team are ahead of Italy by several points and no other team can end in the top two. A victory for Norway at home to the Estonian team on Thursday would effectively secure their place before they travel to San Siro on Sunday because the astonishing twenty-nine strikes scored by Erling Haaland and co from half a dozen games have given the team a frankly incredible goal difference of positive twenty-six, 16 ahead of Italy. The Italian squad need full points from their games, which begin in Moldova on Thursday, and a Norway slip against Estonia to avoid the qualifying round for which they seem fated as they try to qualify for a initial global tournament since 2014.
Group J
the Belgian team need a single victory from two games to be certain of direct entry and encounter a possibly difficult match in Kazakhstan on Saturday. If they do not manage it there, the Belgian squad should secure top spot against the Liechtenstein team on Tuesday. Wales and the Macedonian team have theoretical chance of overtaking Belgium but are realistically competing for the runner-up spot. Wales are guaranteed of a qualification round thanks to the international competition but must end as second place to avoid being among the lower-ranked teams and having an away semi-final. Securing victory in Liechtenstein on Saturday and at home to North Macedonia on Tuesday would guarantee runner-up for Wales. If Wales beat Liechtenstein by a large margin a draw with North Macedonia, whose sole fixture left is in Cardiff, would be enough.
Group K
the English team last month became the initial UEFA team to confirm qualification for the World Cup and the English squad will have a big say in the battle for the runner-up spot. Serbia are behind Albania by a single point and almost certainly need a positive result at Wembley on Thursday because defeat coupled with an Albania win in the Andorran venue would end their playoff hopes. The Albanian national team, who have not once secured a spot for the global event but have made the Euros finals twice, in 2016 and 2024, meet England in Tirana in their last game as Serbia entertain Latvia.
Group L
the Croatian team, semi-finalists at the past two World Cups, need a draw at home to the the Faroese side on Friday or in Montenegro on Monday to guarantee their place in the tournament again. They can be overhauled only by the the Czech team, who are three points behind with one game left, at home to the Gibraltarian team on Monday, but a goal difference inferior by 15. The Faroese squad, surprise winners against the Czech Republic last month, will end second in the improbable scenario that they achieve a better result against Croatia than the Czech Republic secure against Gibraltar.
Playoffs
At the draw on 20 November the dozen second-place teams will be joined by the four best-ranked Nations League
